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Barack Obama avoids fight over Susan Rice

The president left open the possibility of appointing Rice to another top post. | AP Photos

“Ambassador Rice is eminently qualified to serve as secretary of state and she could have been confirmed by the Senate. The politically-motivated attacks on her character from some of my Republican colleagues were shameful,” Reid said. “Ambassador Rice deserved far more respect than she was shown by certain Senate Republicans. Their behavior was a disgrace to the Senate’s tradition of bipartisan cooperation on national security issues, and beneath the stature of senators with otherwise distinguished records on national security.”

And Mark Kornblau, Rice’s former spokesman at the United Nations, said it is clear who is responsible for her withdrawal.

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“This is the type of thing that when people complain about why there aren’t more good people in public service, this is a great example. And there are people who are directly accountable for this,” Kornblau said.

“They have harmed the reputation of somebody who is of extraordinary intellect, is in it for the right reasons and served her country with distinction,” he added. “They’ve also sent a message to other people who might be considering serving their country that the personal costs may be too high even if you do it right and play by the rules.”

Meanwhile, prominent Democrats were calling attention to the symbolism of Rice’s treatment, complaining that Republicans attacked an African American woman as proxy for Obama.

“Disappointed Amb. Rice, such a well qualified woman of color, would be denied a fair shot @ Sec State based on unfounded political attacks,” wrote Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) on Twitter.

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile added: “The boys network is alive and well. The war on qualified women continues here in Washington, DC. I am not going to stand down.”

McCain and Graham released statements vowing to continue the Benghazi investigation. McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said McCain “thanks Ambassador Rice for her service to the country and wishes her well.”

Graham said: “I respect Ambassador Rice’s decision. President Obama has many talented people to choose from to serve as our next secretary of state.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, moments after Rice’s announcement Thursday, said that Kerry “would be a popular choice with the Senate.”

Rice spent Thursday afternoon rebuilding her political reputation – telling Williams that she made the decision to withdraw after being under “serious consideration” to lead the State Department.

She got help from Obama, who told a Sacramento NBC affiliate that she will remain in his administration.

“She’s done an outstanding job,” Obama said. “I could not be prouder with her. She will continue to be one of the top members of my national security team.”

To Williams, Rice said she is “not a victim, I wasn’t set up” and declared she “didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I think I was under serious consideration,” she said. “I can’t, obviously, know what the president was thinking each step of the way, but I’m very grateful that he would consider me for this. That is an honor of tremendous proportion.”

Asked if she wanted the post, Rice said: “I would have been very honored to serve in that job, just as I’m delighted to do what I’m doing. But yeah, sure, how can you not want, in my field, serve at the highest possible level.”

And clearly, Rice also believes that this continued service will be in a high-level administration post — though one that doesn’t require Senate confirmation. Asked about her conversation with Obama Thursday in which she told the president of her decision, Rice replied:

“It was very warm, it was very relaxed,” she said. “We are going to keep doing our best together and I look forward to being a key member of his national security team.”

“Disappointed Amb. Rice, such a well qualified woman of color, would be denied a fair shot @ Sec State based on unfounded political attacks,” wrote Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) on Twitter.

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile added: “The boys network is alive and well. The war on qualified women continues here in Washington, DC. I am not going to stand down.”

Playing race and gender cards after a loss, and trying to make this about identity politics only further loses you credibility. I'm saying this as a Rice supporter who isn't interested in her race or gender.

With the Republican brand already in the sewer over legitimate RAPES and blatent cronic lies. You can always count on the bitter old loser mcLame to get some more Republicans booted out of office in the next round of elections.

Bitter and scared to death of a rightwing primary gay Lindsey, was a chief pusher of the Bush/Chaney LIES that got 5,000 American GI's KILLED.

So go on smearing women who had nothing to do with this, besides being the Presidents friend and a black women.

We WILL REMEMBER this at election time.

Meanwhile these to pathetic sewer dwellers should get on with begging the families of all those crippled and burned and DEAD AMERICAN GI's families for forgiveness. Fot the blood they spread with THEIR LIES !!!!!

How's this Republican campaign to make inroads into the Hispanic, Asian, black and Female votes working out for ya.

With Republicans brand in the sewer after the legitimute RAPES agenda, I see you reverted to sending out two bitter old white guys to SMEAR a black woman for a security issuse she wasn't responsible for.

John McCain, that doddering pseudo-warrior has another innocent victim's scalp on his belt. He has shredded the last of the tattered remains of his reputation for integrity. McCain and Graham are two big flip-floppers who cynically toy with truth from personal pathologies and for political gain. Go back and look at McCain's votes: they are determined by his bitterness, what we might call his sour-grapes sickness -- first against George W. Bush, now against President Obama. The racist, sexist Republicans received a severe spanking at the ballot boxes for their attitudes and behavior and their reactionary response is a racist, sexist attack on an innocent woman. How brave. McCain, as a child, would hold his breath until turning purple and passing out if he did not get his way; he's still as stupid and stubborn today as a crotchety geezer. (Watch it, John. You don't want to blow an embolism, do you?)

McCain and Graham symbolize the Republican Party -- much ado about nothing. When are Republicans going to learn and change. Look at their leaders in Congress concerning the fiscal cliff; wasting time and taxpayers' dollars with mean-spirited political theater and dogged loyalty to lobbyists (like Norquist) and the richest individuals and corporations at the expense of the rest of US.

(And shame on the media for cooperating with the shameful Republican lies, smears and slander.)

Really Politico "Barack Obama avoids fight over Susan Rice"? The connotation being rather judgmental and assuming facts not in evidence.... Why not simply report Susan Rice removes her name from consideration? My impression is that you don't see the distinction or you simply do not care.

Just listen to Limbaugh, the republican MINORITY rules the country because money and greed are real power and the will of the MAJORITY of the people doesn;t matter. Sounds like communism to me. perhaps we should play by their rules and put a bounty on obstructionist ignorance. Thye truth is that we the people already know that we MUST raise taxes AND cut spending including defense waste and welfare fraud.

1) We are assuming Ms. Rice was not asked, in so many words, to drop out by the president and his close circle of political advisors......This is a possibility.

2) We are assuming there is nothing to discover regarding the Benghazi issue.....specifically the time line of when the administration knew the anti-islam film had nothing to do with the terroirst attack.

3) We are assuming that the president always wanted to fight for Ms. Rice, even when he was a man at his prssor.....It could have all been macho posturing.

And much, much more......Giving Barack Obama the benefit of the doubt, especially during a close and changing presidential campaign in September and October, is not the objective thing to do.

Ms. Rice agreed to become the face of the Obama administration narrative over the 9/11/12 terrorist attacks that resulted in the murders of 4 Americans......Could she had said no to the president's request to appear on the Sunday yap fests?.......I hope she could have in the new and hopeful Obama Washington DC.......

Is the new Obama DC transparent and rational?......Are failures in foreign policy spun and lied about to preserve personal political power or are presidents and their appointees now honest and forthcoming with the American peeople?.......

I know the answer, especially after Ms. Rice was thrown under the bus yesterday.

Secretary of State Condi Rice was accused by the left of lying us into war with Iraq.....Some wacko leftists on this thread today will continue to claim that she failed at NSA allowing 9/11/01 to happen and then helping President Bush have his vanity war against Saddam Hussein......She was supported, defended and nominated by President Bush to become SoS under those horrible attacks and confirmed by the US Senate to be the FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN to be SoS!......GOP war on women?

Um.......No.

Condi Rice served with honor and distinction as SoS undercontinued racist attacks from the leftist base in this country........She has even been called an "Uncle Tom."

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Sorry Obamabot........There is no GOP war on women....It is a meme from the manipulators of the elitie democratic party leadership......Try to think for yourself.

So, President Obama abandons Susan Rice over a little heat from Benghazi while President Bush stands firm with Condi Rice over horrible heat from 9/11 and the Iraq War.........Who has cajones and fights for women?.....

As an old white southerner I take offense to being lumped in with ignorant republican racists just as you would hate to be thought of as a drug dealing welfare cheat. I agree with your opinion of mindless McCain but I dont believe the majority of we old white guys think with such small frightened minds. Some of us, myself included, marched with Dr. King for fair and equal treatment for ALL Americans.